Electric floor polisher or the like



Dec. 4, 1962 G. PALMER ETAL I 3,066,340

ELECTRIC FLOOR POLISHER OR THE LIKE 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Nov. 20, 1961 2-HH||HHIIIIIIIHIIHHH Dec. 4, 1962 G. PALMER Em. 3,066,340

ELECTRIC FLOOR POLISHER OR THE LIKE Filed Nov. 20, 1961 2 Sheets$heet 2 In ventors Ger 94m] fl4/mcr aim/144%? (f/c144 r United States Patent Cfiice steam Patented Dec. 4, 1962 3,066,349 ELEQTRHI FLOQR PQLESHER OR THE LEKE Gerhard Palmer and Anton Kuehar, Stuttgart-Banning,

Germany, assignors to Mauz & Pfeiiier, Stuttgart-Botnang, Germany, a corporation of Germany Filed Nov. 20, 196i, Ser. No. 153,649 11 Claims. (Cl. 15-49) The present invention relates to an electric, motordriven machine for treating floors, preferably by means of one or more revolving brushes, which is manipulated by a long handle which is connected to the machine l1ousing and preferably pivotable relative thereto.

There are numerous kinds of such machines known in the art. They are used extensively for cleaning floors either by a dry treatment or by washing, or for polishing or waxing floors or treating them in a similar manner. All of these machines have in common that they must be able to withstand a rough treatment and should require no servicing by the persons using them who usually are untrained for this purpose. They must also be very safe in operation, and especially they must not be affected by moisture or any floor treating agents.

Most of the floor treating machines as are presently known have, however, the disadvantage that especially the sensitive electric control elements thereof get out of order rather easily as the result of improper handling and because of the harmful influence of dust, moisture, or cleansing agents. If these electric control elements become defective this always means that the entire machine must be taken to a repair shop or sent to the factory. In the conventional machines, these control means are usually mounted directly within the machine housing closely adjacent to the motor so that, if they become defective, it becomes necessary to disassemble at least a considerable part of the machine before it is even possible to reach the defective parts. This disadvantage is especially serious because the control elements of the known machines, which are usually located in the immediate vicinity of the area which is especially exposed to dust and dirt, must therefore be separately enclosed or covered in order to insure their proper operation at least for a reasonable length of time.

It is an object of the present invention to overcome these deficiencies of the prior floor treating machines such as floor polishers and the like, by mounting the electric control elements at a point separate from the actual machine where they are easily accessible without requiring the machine itself to be disassembled and Where they are also protected from dust, moisture, and dirt.

Another object of the invention is to design and place these control elements in such a manner that the shape and appearance of such a machine will not be impaired by these control means but will on the contrary be improved thereby. This is a factor of the greatest importance for the salability of such machines, especially since they are usually purchased by laymen.

A further object of the invention is to incorporate the electric control elements into the machine as organically as possible so that, in consideration of the above-mentioned objects and requirements, these control elements will not require any special obstructive or expensive structural parts for receiving them, but that their associated mechanical parts will contribute as much as possible to the operative functions of the machine.

These objects are attained according to the invention by securing the handle of the machine at its lower end to a switch box in which the electric control means of the machine are mounted and which, in turn, is firmly connected to the machine housing. This switch box preferably has an elongated shape and near the lower end of its longer side walls it may be provided with hingelike means which are connected to the machine housing so as to be pivotable about a horizontal axis. The handle of the machine is preferably connected to the switch box by an upright conical extension of the latter which extends coaxially to the handle and by a slotted socket which is inserted into the tubular end of the handle and has a conical bore which may be fitted over the conical extension. By an adjustable connecting member, for example, a tension bolt, which is connected to the switch box, the slotted bracket may, on the one hand, be securely pressed upon the conical extension of the switch box and, on the other hand, be spread so that its cylindrical outer wall is clamped securely to the inner wall of the tubular end of the handle. By this type of construction, the handle may be quickly and firmly secured to the switch box and just as easily removed therefrom even by a layman.

In order to allow an easy access to the electric control elements without requiring any parts of the apparatus to be disassembled, it is advisable to provide the switch box with a tightly closing cover which is removable therefrom separately from the handle and while the handle is secured to the switch box. The control elements may be very simply mounted within the switch box by being assembled and secured in a clear arrangement to a partition which is inserted into and removably connected to the switch box. This partition may also be used for securing thereto the necessary electric cables which extend from the outside through the outer wall of the switch box and are tightly sealed therein. Thus, the partition together with the electric control elements and the cables and connecting wires which are secured to the partition form a single structural unit which may be very simply inserted into or removed from the switch box. In the event that one of the sensitive electric control elements becomes defective, it is only necessary to remove the cover and to exchange the entire unit for a new one. This exchange operation is so simple that it might even be carried out by a layman.

Another important advantage of the new floor treating machine is the fact that the cover of the switch box may be provided with a foot switch for operating the machine. This switch is of a very simple construction and designed so that the control elements cannot possibly be damaged even though the switch button is stepped on very roughly. The mentioned partition is for this purpose mounted in the switch box in a spaced relation to the cover so that a compartment is formed between the partition and the cover into which an electric pushbutton switch projects which is mounted on the partition. This switch may then be operated by a foot-actuated member which is provided in the cover through a mechanical shock-absorbing transmitting member. If this intermediate transmitting member between the actuating member in the cover and the push-button switch is resilient, a hard impact exerted by a foot upon the actuating member will not be transmitted to the sensitive pushbutton switch but will be taken up by the solid switch box.

The aforementioned objects, features, and advantages of the present invention will become more clearly apparent from the following detailed description thereof, especially when read with reference to the accompanying drawings, in Which FIGURE 1 shows a side view of a floor treating machine according to the invention;

FIGURE 2 shows a side view, partly in section, of the switch box of the machine according to FIGURE 1 containing the control elements;

FIGURE 3 shows a top plan view of the switch box according to FIGURE 2, but without the cover;

FIGURE 4 shows a rear view of the switch box according to FIGURE 2; while FIGURE shows a top plan view of the switch box according to FEGURE 4.

The fioor treating machine according to the invention consists of a machine housing 1 which contains an electric motor with a vertical shaft for driving at least one brush 2 and for sucking air and dust from the floor and into a dust bag through which the air can then escape, while the dust is retained in the bag. The machine may be manipulated by a handle 4 which is provided with a grip 5 and connected to a switch box 6. As illustrated in FEGURE 2, switch box 6 is provided on its lower side with two leverlike arms 7 which are pivotably connected to housing 1 by means of bolts 8 so that switch box 6 and the handle 4 thereon can pivot about a horizontal axis which forms the common axis of bolts 8. By means of a locking device 9, arms 7 may be arrested in a certain angular position in which, when handle 4 is tilted downwardly, the machine housing is likewise tilted and the wheels 10 are rested upon the floor so that, when the handle is further tilted brush 2 will be lifted completely oif the floor and the machine may thereafter be rolled on wheels 10 along the floor.

Switch box 6 has rigid walls and an elongated crosssectional shape. On its rear side it is provided with an eye 11 which has a conical extension 12. Handle 4 forms a hollow cylindrical tube which contains in its lower end a socket 13 with a conical bore 14 of a shape in accordance with the shape of the conical extension 12, and above this socket a nut 15. If socket 13 is fitted over the conical extension 12 in the manner as shown in FIGURE 4, and pressed on this extension by a tension bolt 16, the conical bore 14, the wall of which is provided with slots, not shown, will be spread outwardly so that the cylindrical outer surface of socket 13 is pressed tightly against the inner surface of handle 4, whereby the handle is firmly secured to the extension 12 and thus to the switch box 6. This type of connection of handle 4 to the switch box 6 permits the handle to be easily removed from the machine even by a layman, for example, to facilitate the shipping of the entire machine.

Switch box 6 contains a partition 17 which is mounted on inwardly extending projections 18 on the outer wall of the switch box. The outer edge of partition 17 is spaced at all points from the outer wall as indicated in FIGURE 3 by the gap 19 and it is secured to the projections 18 by nuts 2%) which have coaxial tapped bores 21. intermediate insulating members 22, as shown in FIGURE 2, securely insulate the partition 17 electrically from the switch box 6. The lower part of switch box 6 is covered with an insert 23 which consists of an electrically insulating material and is bent around the projections 18, as shown at 24 in FIGURE 2, and clamped thereto when nuts are tightened to secure the partition 17.

Partition 17 carries the electric control means which in the particular embodiment as illustrated consist of a starting condenser 25 for the single-phase alternating-current motor of the machine 1, a switch 27 with a push-button 26, an insulated connector 28, and an overload circuit breaker 29 which is inserted into an aperture in the wall of the switch box 6. Partition 17 also carries lead-in insulators 30 tightly fitted into the wall of switch box 6 and through which a pair of cables 31 and 32 extend, the first of which leads to the machine housing while the long cable 32 serves for connecting the machine to an electric outlet. This cable 32 may when not in use be wound up on hooks 33 on handle 4.

After nuts 20 are loosened, the partition 17 with the control elements mounted thereon may be easily removed from switch box 6 as a unit and, if necessary, be replaced by a similar unit. Since for this purpose it is only necessary to connect the overload circuit breaker 29 by bolts 34 to the wall of switch box 6, such an exchange may even be carried out by a layman. Switch box 6 is closed by a cover 35 which is secured by screws 36 which are screwed into the tapped bores 21 of nuts 2%). Between cover 36 4 and switch box 6 a sealing gasket 37 is inserted. Adjacent to the lead-ins 3d and to circuit breaker 29' the cover is provided with projections 33 and 39 which cover these parts in the upward direction and thus protect the same.

Cover 35 has a pushbutton 49 slidably mounted in a tubular part 41 and the extent of its axial movement is limited by the bottom 42 of an annular groove therein which serves as a stop. Pushbutton 44) is mounted at a certain distance from pushbutton 26 of switch 27 and it acts upon a bent leaf spring 43 which is secured at 44 to the partition 17 and rests at 45 on pushbutton 26.

Pushbutton at which projects upwardly from switch box 6, as shown in FIGURE 1, may ordinarily be operated by foot, and there is thus no need for the operator to bend over. Since pushbutton 40 only acts upon leaf spring 43, and the force for operating switch 27 is thus transmitted to the latter through an intermediate resilient member, the impact caused when pushbutton 40 is depressed by a foot will be taken up by spring 43 and will not be transmitted to switch 27. The sensitive switch 27 is thus protected from damage, and on the other hand spring 43 is protected from being bent excessively by the stop 42.

By the provision of eye 11 and thus of handle 4 on a longer side wall of switch box 6 it is possible to remove cover 35 from the switch box without requiring the removal or disassembly of any other parts. All of the electric control parts of the machine may therefore be exchanged in a very simple manner in the form of units.

In the event that the outer wall of switch box 6 which usually consists of metal might be bent inwardly by a severe blow or pressure, there might be danger that this metal wall will come into contact with one of the electric parts in switch box 6 which are under tension. In order to avoid this danger which may lead to accidents, the outer wall of switch box 6 is completely insulated from these electric parts by the insert 23 as previously mentioned which consists of an elastic insulating material. The overload circuit breaker 29 which protects the motor of the machine may, after being released, be re-engaged by a pushbutton 46.

Although our invention has been illustrated and described with reference to the preferred embodiments thereof, we wish to have it understood that it is in no way limited to the details of such embodiments, but is capable of numerous modifications within the scope of the appended claims.

Having thus fully disclosed our invention, what we claim is:

1. In a machine for treating floors having a machine housing, an electric motor within said housing, at least one floor treating member connected to and adapted to be driven by said motor and projecting from said housing, a switch box having an elongated shape, hingelike means on said switch box and connected to one side of said housin so as to be pivotable about a substantially horizontal axis parallel to the direction of elongation of the switch box, electric control means for said motor mounted within said switch box, and an upwardly extending handle having its lower end removably secured to said switch box for manipulating said machine.

2. In a machine for treating floors having a machine housing, an electric motor within said housing, at least one floor treating member connected to and adapted to be driven by said motor and projecting from said housing, a switch box having an elongated shape in a direction transversely of said housing and having a pair of arms spaced from each other on its part nearest said housing, means pivotably connecting the free ends of said arms to said housing at the rear end thereof so as to be pivotable about a substantially horizontal axis parallel to the direction of elongation of the switch box, electric control means for said motor mounted within said switch box, an upwardly extending handle for manipulating said machine, and means on one longitudinal wall of said switch box for removably securing the lower end of said handle to said switch box.

3. In a machine for treating floors having a machine housing, an electric motor within said housing, at least one floor treating member connected to and adapted to be driven by said motor and projecting from said housing, a switch box having an elongated shape in a direction transversely of said housing, means pivotably connecting one end of said switch box to said housing so as to be pivotable about a horizontal axis parallel to the direction of elongation of the switch box, electric control means for said motor within said switch box, said switch box having a conical extension on one longitudinal side thereof, an upwardly extending handle having a tubular end, a substantially cylindrical socket on the lower end of the handle having an axial conical bore adapted to be fitted upon said conical extension and to be inserted into said tubular end, said socket having slots to permit it to be spread, and an adjustable tension member connected to said switch box for pressing said socket upon said conical extension and for also spreading said socket so as to press against the inner wall of said tubular end to clamp said handle securely to said conical extension of said switch box.

4. In a machine for treating floors having a machine housing, an electric motor within said housing, at least one floor treating member connected to and adapted to be driven by said motor and projecting from said housing, a switch box connected to one side of said housing and having an aperture, electric control means for said motor mounted within said switch box and adapted to be inserted and removed through said aperture, an upwardly extending handle having its lower end removably secured to said switch box for manipulating said machine, and a cover for closing said aperture adapted to be connected to and removed from said switch box even when said handle is secured to said switch box.

5. In a machine for treating floors having a machine housing, an electric motor within said housing, at least one floor treating member connected to and adapted to be driven by said motor and projecting from said housing, a switch box connected to one side of said housing and having an aperture, a partition within said switch box, electric control elements mounted on said partition and with said partition forming a structural unit adapted to be inserted into and removed from said switch box through said aperture, means for removably securing said partition in said switch box, an upwardly extending handle having its lower end removably secured to said switch box for manipulating said machine, and a cover for closing said aperture adapted to be connected to and removed from said switch box even when said handie is secured to said switch box.

6. In a machine for treating floors having a machine housing, an electric motor within said housing, at least one floor treating member connected to and adapted to be driven by said motor and projecting from said housing, a switch box pivotably connected to one side of said housing and having a cover aperture and at least one cable lead-in aperture, a partition within said switch box, electric control elements mounted on said partition and with said partition forming a structural unit adapted to be inserted into and removed from said switch box through said cover aperture, connecting cables passing through said lead-in apertures into said switch box, means for removably securing said cables to said partition and for connecting the same to some of said control elements, means for remo-vably securing said partition in said switch box, an upwardly extending handle having its lower end removably secured to said switch box for manipulating said machine, and a cover for closing said aperture adapted to be connected to and removed from said switch box even when said handle is secured to said switch box.

7. In a machine for treating floors having a machine housing, an electric motor within said housing, at least one floor treating member connected to and adapted to be driven by said motor and projecting from said housing, a metallic switch box connected to one side of said housing and having an aperture, a partition within said switch box, electric control elements mounted on said partition and with said partition forming a structural unit adapted to be inserted into and removed from said switch box through said aperture, a layer of elastic insulating material covering at least the lower part of said switch box on the inside thereof for electrically insulating said switch box from said control elements, means for removably securing said partition in said switch box, an upwardly extending handle having its lower end removably secured to said switch box for manipulating said machine, and a cover for closing said aperture adapted to be connected to and removed from said switch box even when said handle is secured to said switch box.

8. In a machine for treating floors having a machine housing, an electric motor within said housing, at least one floor treating member connected to and adapted to be driven by said motor and projecting from said housing, a switch box having an elongated shape extending in a direction toward said housing and connected to one side of said housing and having an aperture at its end remote from said housing, a partition mounted within said switch box at a distance from said end, a cover removably secured to said switch box to close said aperture, said partition and said cover together with a part of said switch box defining a compartment, electric control elements mounted on said partition and with said partition forming a structural unit adapted to be inserted into and removed from said switch box through said aperture when said cover is removed, means for removably securing said partition in said switch box, said control means comprising an electric switch having a pushbutton mounted on and projecting from said partition into said compartment, an actuating member slidabiy mounted in said cover and projecting at both sides thereof, a shock-absorbing transmitting member interposed in said compartment between said actuating member and said pushbutton so that, when an impact is exerted upon said actuating member, said transmitting member wiil cushion said impact and then transmit at least a part of the movement of said actuating member to said pushbutton to operate said switch, and an upwardly extendiug handle having its lower end removably secured to said switch box for manipulating said machine.

9. In a machine for treating floors having a machine housing, an electric motor within said housing, at least one floor treating member connected to and adapted to be driven by said motor and projecting from said housing, a switch box having an elongated shape extending in a direction toward said housing and connected to one side of said housing and having an aperture at its end remote from said housing, a partition mounted within said switch box at a distance from said end, a cover removably secured to said switch box to close said aperture, said partition and said cover together with a part of said switch box defining a compartment, electric control elements mounted on said partition and with said partition forming a structural unit adapted to be inserted into and removed from said switch box through said aperture when said cover is removed, means for removably securing said partition in said switch box, said control means comprising an electric switch having a pushbutton mounted on and projecting from said partition into said compartment, a second pushbutton slidably mounted in said cover and removable therewith, means for limiting the extent of the movement of said second pushbutton, a bent leaf spring secured at one end to said partition and at its other end substantially engaging with said first pushbutton of said switch, said second pushbutton projecting with one end toward the outside of said cover and with the other end into said compartment and at least when 7 depressed engaging with and pressing upon said leaf spring at a point intermediate the two points of engagement of said spring with said partition and said first pushbutton, and an upwardly extending handle having its lower end removably secured to said switch box for manipulating said machine.

10. In a machine for treating doors having a machine housing, an electric motor within said housing, at least one door treating member connected to and adapted to be driven by said motor and projecting from said housing, a switch box pivotably connected to one side of said housing and having a cover aperture in one end thereof and additional apertures in its side wall, a partition within said switch box, electric control elements mounted on said partition and with said partition forming a structural unit adapted to be inserted into and removed from said switch box through said cover aperture, leadin insulators passing through at least one of said additional apertures into said switchbox, connecting cables passing through said leadin insulators, means for removably securing said insulators to said partition and for connecting said cables to some of said control elements, means 'for removably securing said partition in said switchbox,

an upwardly extending handle having its lower end removably secured to said switch box for manipulating said machine, a cover for closing said aperture having outward projections adapted to extend like roofs over said additional apertures to protect at least said lead-in insulators, and means for removably securing said cover to said switch box.

11. In a machine for treating floors having a machine housing, an electric motor within said housing, at least one door treating member connected to and adapted to be driven by said motor and projecting from said housing, a switchbox connected to one side of said housing and having an aperture, a partition within said switchbox and having at least one part partly stamped out of and bent at an angle to said partition, electric control elements mounted on said partition and on said bent part and with said partition forming a structural unit adapted to be inserted into and removed from said switch box through said aperture, means for removably securing said partition in said switch box, an upwardly extending handle having its lower end removably secured to said switchbox for manipulating said machine, a cover for closing said aperture adapted to be connected to and removed from said switchbox even when said handle is secured to said switch box, and means for removably securing said cover to said switchbox.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 

